[Synchrodyne]

Regarding the marine application of the GEC RC410/R in question, something to bear in mind is that passenger vessels usually carried a wide range of radio equipment beyond the required set of regulation and approved equipment. Passenger R/T services often account for a large part of this. In these applications, equipment other than the GPO-approved models was often found, examples being the Racal RA17 and the Marconi HR22.

The GEC Journal article on the RC410/R did not mention marine applications, so it is reasonable to infer that GEC had not designed it to meet the GPO and international requirements for main receivers.

A Wireless World 1968 December article (pp.448,9) on the sound and vision equipment installed on the then-new QE2 vessel noted that the ship-to-shore R/T service used the GEC-AEI Lincompex II system in conjunction with GEC RC410/R receivers. Perhaps the QM (and the QE) were updated with similar equipment at around the same time. The original QM radio room and equipment were described in WW 1936 May 29, p.526ff. Probably the R/T equipment had already received updates. For example, SSB/ISB came into use for passenger R/T services from 1949 onwards, and one may imagine that the “Queens" would have been kept current.

Unfortunately, neither that WW article, nor an earlier 1968 July brief item (p.204) on the QE2 equipment mentioned what make and model of regulation main W/T receiver was fitted. Timing-wise, the QE2 was probably a year or so ahead of the new crop of marine main receivers that were solid-sate and high stability, ready for the early 1970s advent of SSB as the official marine communications medium.


Cheers,